Hits and Misses
by cofi-shot
Summary: Nick and Sara might just find their way to each other. NS angst with enough dose of fluff thrown in for good measure. Set in season 7 and is actually a long overdue response to the season 6 finale.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

Author's Note: I've been planning on writing a post-season 6 fic for some time now. Thankfully, I finally got around to writing it. This has mild spoilers for season 7 by the way, so beware. Rated T just in case I venture that path in the following chapters.

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Hum, that is what Sara usually does while she's working. It would start with a distinctive tune which she could not get out of her head, and soon she'd be singing the song full out without realizing it. She could be going through some files, tinkering inside a car, or going over some photographs like she was doing at the moment, and she'd be singing. Glancing up briefly from the picture of a severed head that she has been staring at for minutes, she looked across the table at Nick as a thought came over her. "How come you've never sang for me?" 

Nick lifted his head to look at her, obviously confused as to what brought the question out of the blue. "I dunno… it just never came up I guess." With that, he went back to pulling contents out of the brown evidence bag and laying them on the table.

Sara knitted her eyebrows as she tried to come up with one instance to prove him wrong but came up with nothing. "Well I sing when I'm around you… and you don't. You sing to Mandy though," she insisted, not letting go of the matter just yet. If Mandy hadn't slipped and told Sara about making Nick sing for her results, Sara probably would never have known that he could sing.

"Oh, that's what this is about huh?" Nick let out bit of a laugh, embarrassed. "Tell you what, if you can come up with a song with your name on it… I'll gladly sing it for you." He stopped for while to raise his eyebrows at her in challenge.

Sara gave him her trademark glare and went back to analyzing the photos before her. She frowned; an unexpected jab of jealousy coming over her as she wondered how hard it could be to sing for her when he does it all the time to Mandy. Shaking her head at the pettiness and immaturity of it, she sighed and tried to forget about it. She'd bet that his voice wasn't even that great.

"_You are the sunshine of my life… that's why I'll always stay around…"_

Nick's unmistakable singing prompted her away from her musings and back to reality. Smiling broadly, she stopped completely from her task and crossed her arms before her as she listened and watched him sing. "That doesn't have my name anywhere in it."

"Yeah… it got sunshine though." Nick flashed a smile as he took off his gloves and tossed them on the table. Standing from his seat, he walked towards her and held his hand out. "Come on get up," he said, offering his hand out.

Sara laughed, totally bemused but stood up anyways. "What are you up to?" She had a vague idea what he was about to do but wouldn't believe that he'd do it right there and then. Letting him slide his other hand to her waist, she watched in wonderment as he started swaying her along the song he was singing.

"I better do this before you start complaining that I dance with Catherine and not you," he said and crooned the rest of the song. _"You are the apple of my eye…"_

Sara smacked his arm playfully, grinning nonetheless. "I wasn't going to." It wasn't her style to mix work and play, but this is a one-time opportunity so she figured she might as well enjoy it. She has always liked the easygoing pace the two of them have whenever they work together. For some reason, she could only be that way when she's around him. Singing with him, _"You must have known that I was lonely, because you came…"_ She stopped in mid-line as someone cleared their throat, making both of them stop and look at the doorway.

Hodges was smirking at them, probably feeling high and mighty now that he has caught them playing around. "If I could interrupt you kids… Sara your trace results just came in." Stepping into the room he held out a sheet of paper to her; the smirk still on his face.

Blushing a bit, Sara pulled away slowly dropping her hands off Nick. "Yeah thanks. I was just about to go to you." Keeping her composure, she looked at Hodges carefully, daring him to say another word. Normally she wouldn't have cared what he thought, but since things for her were different now she couldn't afford for this little incident to get out. She has another person to think about; though if that person had the capability to get jealous, she had no idea.

_ooo_

Nick was still humming the Stevie Wonder song up to the end of the shift. This particular day turned out pretty well for him, starting with that little performance he did for Sara earlier. Who would have thought that his singing to Mandy would eventually lead to this? He grinned inwardly, silently thanking Mandy for making it happen and cursing Hodges for ruining it. Opening his locker, he pulled a clean shirt out and turned to Warrick who has just come into the room. "Hey, buddy!" he greeted good-naturedly.

"At least someone's happy…" Warrick jerked his locker open and lifted a hand to massage his temples. "You won't believe the day I've had man… processed a million things and still came up with nothing." He groaned and collapsed on the bench behind him. Glancing up he raised an eyebrow at Nick. "I need to hear some good news. Spill."

Nick shrugged not bothering to hide his smile. "What, a guy can't be happy around here without a reason?"

"No… with this job it's gotta be somethin'," Warrick said shaking his head. "Some girl?" Taking Nick's nod as a yes he continued. "Kristine?"

The mention of the name stopped Nick for a second. Sitting on the bench beside Warrick, his smile faded as his thoughts went to the sweet, beautiful lady he has been seeing. "No,man. I don't think that's gonna work out though." He mentally kicked himself for completely forgetting about Kristine, whom he's actually supposed to meet later. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Kristine. She's smart, pretty, nice, and could just be the one for him, except she's not. It was happening again; he was going to drop a potentially good relationship just because there could be a chance for him and a particular co-worker.

"Dude, I'm not saying marriage is all that great… but finding someone and sticking with them could be a good thing, ya know?" Warrick said after a bit of silence.

Nick nodded in understanding. Everyone thinks he should stop dating around and get serious for once, and he agrees. "Yeah I know. I do have someone… she just doesn't know it yet." A smile tugged on his lips as he wondered if this could really be it. Maybe this time around he'd finally come up with enough courage to ask her out. Maybe come next time he crosses path with Warrick he'd be able to tell him how Sara said yes, and how the wait was well worth it.

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Comments are love! Let me know what you think. :) I'll update soon, promise. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Author's Note: Thanks so much to all who read and reviewed!

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"What's so funny?" 

Sara was caught off guard by the question as she didn't expect Hodges to notice her smiling. He was pacing around the trace lab so much; she thought he had already forgotten all about her. "Nothing," she said slyly, her thoughts slowly digressing back to dancing. It's one of the activities she'd love to do but doesn't get enough chance to. The quick minute she had spent dancing with Nick the other day was a testament on how much fun it could be. It also helped that he knew all the moves. He should though, being the ladies' man that he is. Snapping out of her reverie she glanced at Hodges and noticed he was looking at her a bit amused. She ignored it and took a step backwards ready to bolt out of there. "Listen, I gotta go... do me a favor and give that to Catherine once you're done alright?"

"Got it. Where are you going so early anyways?" he asked nosily with a slight raise of his eyebrows. After a while, he nodded as if he knew all along. "You got a date. On my off days I go on dates too. You know, it's not easy being smart and cute… girls find it simply irresis…"

Sara cleared her throat and sighed impatiently as she waited for him to stop speaking. He was right about her having a date but she wasn't admitting anything to him.

Hodges ignored the hint and went on. "I usually don't go here on my off days, unless… Hey are you going with someone who works here?"

Sara's heart almost stopped at the question. He can't possibly know, can he? They had been really careful. At least she thought they were. No one has mentioned anything even remotely related to it except now. Someone at the top of the ladder will have both of their heads if the relationship comes out and neither of them will be able to afford that. She just stood there not saying anything and let Hodges do all the talking.

"It's Nick, isn't it? I knew there was something to that… prancing you were doing earlier." Hodges leaned forward and kept his voice low. "You don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone. It could be our own little secret…" He grinned and gave her a wink.

A wave of relief washed over Sara as she realized that he didn't know the truth. "Um, later…" she uttered and left him to believe what he wanted by evading the question. Stepping out of the room she went straight to the lockers, urging herself to relax while she changed her clothes. The few months she had spent going behind everyone's back must be getting to her already. She hated that she had to lie, especially to her friends. One of these days she would really need to confide in somebody.

"Hey I've been looking for you…"

Sara whipped her head towards the door in time to watch Nick walk right in and sit straddling the bench behind her. Shutting her locker she turned to face him and leaned her back against the lockers. "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you too… but you go first," she said smiling a little. If there's anyone in the lab who'd understand her completely, it would be Nick. And she's certain he wouldn't rat on them so there could be no harm in telling him, right?

Nick nodded and smiled as well. "I was thinking, on our next day off together maybe we could…" he paused and looked her up and down like he was seeing her for the first time. "You look nice. Where are you off to?" he asked, his smile fading a bit.

Sara glanced down at the single black dress she owned. It wasn't even that dressy, but since most of the people around her were so used to seeing her in plain jeans and shirt, she guessed it could be considered as such. Looking back at him, she gently bit on her bottom lip as she thought of what to say. "Just some… date," she said swallowing hard afterwards. The way Nick was looking at her was making her slightly nervous. Shrugging her coat on she kept her hands busy with the belt as she gathered enough courage to tell him the truth. "I've been meaning to tell you…"

"You've been seeing someone." Nick cut her off and got up from the bench to stand directly in front of her. After a moment of silence he finally gave her a smile and took her fumbling hands away from the belt. "It's about time you got out more. Hadn't I told you that once?" Knotting her belt for her he reached up and patted her upper arms, his hands staying on them a tad bit longer. "Don't look so glum… you deserve to have fun once in a while. And don't feel guilty about not maxing out on overtime either," he joked, and then reached behind her gently pulling some hair that got stuck beneath the coat. He looked like he was about to say more but decided against it, turned around instead and went over to his own locker.

Sara shook her head, feeling worse by the second. "It's not about that… It's more of who I'm seeing." She paused taking a deep breath. "Well it looks like you're busy… you must be in the middle of a case… and this isn't really the place for this. Can we talk about it later? Like tomorrow before shift starts?" He'd been really quiet that she wasn't even certain that he heard her.

"Give me ten minutes." Grissom called to her by the doorway, obviously not yet aware that someone else was in the room aside from her. Eventually sensing it, he turned to look at Nick and pursed his lips as if deep in thought. He didn't say anything, just nodded at Sara and stepped out.

Sara tore her eyes away from the door and faced Nick, waiting for any reaction. It wasn't the best way for him to find out but at least it saved her from having to say it out loud. That didn't help much though and she was still left feeling like she had betrayed him for not telling him about it earlier.

His phone rang, saving him from having to say anything. He glanced briefly at it to read the message and then looked back at her. "Duty calls. Keep your coat on for me…" With that, he left the room leaving Sara wondering what the hell he exactly meant by it.

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As always, reviews are love :)  



	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I got caught up with all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I hope you all had a good one by the way. Happy Holidays and thanks so much for checking this out. :)

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"Crap…" Nick muttered under his breath as coffee spilled from the table down to his kitchen floor. He couldn't even have his coffee in peace. Glancing at his watch he ignored the fact that he should have left ten minutes ago and just proceeded to drinking his coffee, or what's left of it anyways. He shouldn't even be contemplating on meeting her because Lord knows he was not in any condition to. There were a million thoughts running on his mind and he was certain that none of it would go well with her. He could start with, say, what the hell was she thinking?! 

He glanced at his watch again. Twelve minutes. Grabbing a roll of paper towel he cleaned up the mess and got delayed for another two minutes. There would be no point in avoiding her for he knew he had to see her sooner or later. After all, they're working in the same freakin' floor during the same freakin' shift. And when they do see each other she'd sense something was wrong and ask him about it, which is exactly what he wanted to avoid at all costs. That is one of the reasons why he didn't want to see her just yet, another being the fact that she has trampled on his soul without even realizing it.

She would be waiting for him though and he could not, not go.

Half an hour later, Nick was swinging the door of the diner open and quickly spotted Sara sitting near the windows. Sliding onto the booth in front of her he gave her a brief nod and then busied himself with the cup of black coffee set before him. He meant to act normal around her but the simple act of looking her directly in the eyes was proving way more difficult than he expected. To say that it hurt too much would be cliche, but cliches are there for a reason.

"Hey…" Sara greeted cheerily. Out of habit she passed him the cream, and then gave him a small smile before taking a sip from her own drink. "I've already ordered your usual. I figured you might have trouble getting up from bed, after the shift you had last night… Yeah I heard about the missing six year old…"

From whom, he wondered. Luckily, the waitress arrived saving him from having to say what he thought. Thanking her politely he took a look at the plate in front of him and almost smiled… almost. Sara got it perfectly: steak, medium rare, potatoes on the side, and extra gravy. He wasn't in the mood to eat but the simple gesture was doing wonders for his ego. "Yeah, Warrick found him just a few hours ago…" Taking a chance he lifted his head and dared to look at her and immediately regretted it afterwards. All it did was remind him that she was out of reach, which is a new and an unwelcomed idea.

Sara leaned back on her chair and watched him carefully. "How are you?" she asked sincerely.

"I'm…" he started to say he was fine but then stopped when he realized he was farthest from it. Why did he need to act normal, anyways? He was pissed and it may not be justified but that's just how he felt. At least he could have her answer some questions that have been bugging him ever since he found out about her and Grissom. "He turned you down before, right?"

"Excuse me?" Sara squinted at him, not certain if she heard him correctly.

He considered taking it back but even if he wanted to he can't, for the question was already out in the open. Sara damn well knew what he was talking about. She was just surprised that he dared say it out loud, which could be the reason she was staring at him with her mouth half open. "Years ago… you asked him out. He turned you down, and—"

"Why would you even bring that up?" Sara cut him off; the tone of her voice getting a notch higher. She was clutching the cup so tightly he was sure she was about to haul it at him any second.

He considered the question for a moment and was only able to come up with the fact that he had lost. Grissom had hurt her multiple times in the past but it doesn't seem to matter because he still got the girl. Nick was thinking he himself would be the one for her, but then realized sadly that he didn't do much either. Not once did he say anything about her feelings for her, nor ask her out on a real date. Truth be told, he was no better. "No reason… forget about it. Oh wait, you've already forgotten about it." He then bit his tongue for the snide that came out.

"I can't believe you…" Sara said quietly. Letting go of the cup she placed both of her hands on the table and merely stared at them.

"I can't believe _you_."

"You were always telling me I need to go out more," she retorted and raised her eyebrows at him.

"Go out more? Grissom doesn't go out, he stays in. Tell me where he brought you last night."

"It was a very lovely dinner… didn't include chocolate bugs anywhere in it." Sara said lightly kidding. "Come on, Nick. You can't be seriously against this?" She looked at him seriously, obviously waiting for what she wanted to hear.

Nick paused for a long while and then merely shrugged. "I don't know," he said truthfully. He wished there was some way he'd wake up the next day feeling okay with it so he could go on with his life. Taking in a deep breath he stood up, ready to leave the conversation at that. "We should get going…" Glancing at Sara he noticed she had not moved an inch and was looking right through his uneaten food, deep in her thoughts. Softening at the sight, he slid on the booth next to her and nudged her arm gently. "Hey…"

"I just needed to talk to you about it… See what you thought… Have someone I trust to know what's going on with me," she said quietly and turned towards him. "I didn't think you'd get like this…"

Right then he saw how much his opinion mattered to her. She may be currently with someone else but their friendship still remains. "I'm just saying… it's not gonna be easy. Ecklie, the under-sheriff, the sheriff… they might make it hard for you. He's still your boss and some people may not get it," including Nick himself, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "But if you're happy, then I guess everything would be okay." He paused for a while, not wanting to ask the impending question but just had to. "Are you?"

Sara took a moment and then nodded.

"Okay then." Nick decided he would just have to deal with it on his own. However, he had noticed the slightest hesitation from her, which gave him the tiniest bit of hope.

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Please let me know what you think so far. :) 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Author's Note: Hey all. Thanks so much to those who have read and reviewed so far. It really means a lot to me. Anyways, I read all sorts of spoilers so when I made the outline for this story I knew Grissom was going to be away for a few weeks. Just in case anyone's wondering.

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She sort of knew he was going to do this. He never told her anything but in the back of her mind she was expecting him to leave any minute. How many times did it feel like he was slipping away from her grasp? Way too many for comfort, that's how much. And all those times she had told herself that he's just eccentric and is even more socially inept than she is. That's how he has always been, and isn't that what she loves about him in the first place? Yes, she does love Grissom... but damn him for making it difficult for her. 

Sara reached for the doorknob and turned it midway through, hesitating on what she would do. It was her day off and she was about to spend it working, just as she had spent almost all the previous ones. Letting go of the knob, she took a quick glance at her kitchen and considered cooking instead. With Grissom gone she could do just about anything, if only she could think of _something_. She had a feeling that neither going to work nor trying her hand in the kitchen could make her feel any better.

She was about to turn around when she heard her phone ring inside her pocket. Looks like the lab had made the decision for her, she thought to herself. "Sidle," she answered, expecting to get the address to some crime scene she had to go to.

"Hey!" Nick's voice came through the other end. "Greg, Wendy, and I are going out for the night… wanna come?"

Sara was already out the door, stopping in the middle of the hallway trying to figure out if she heard him right. He was asking like they do it all the time, which they don't. 'Going out' for them usually meant having a meal at their usual diner, and somehow this doesn't sound like one of those times. "Aren't you working tonight?"

"I took a leave. So are you going? Greg promised the food would be great or else it would be on him." He paused waiting for an answer, and when he got nothing he went on. "Are you already doing anything?"

"No…" As if.

"It's just dinner and a few drinks, Sar. You can leave whenever you want, I'll even take you home myself… I mean, to your home. Take you to your home…" He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. A long pause dragged on as neither of them contemplated on what to say to the other. "You're allowed to have fun without him, you know." It was pretty clear who he was talking about.

Sara took a look at her apartment and realized she didn't really want to be alone that night. "Yeah I know…" She heard him breathe a sigh of relief, making her smile. "I'm already out the door, Einstein."

_ooo _

Nick paced in front of the club, looking around for a familiar brunette amongst the crowd passing by. Everything has gone according to plan so far, which only made him more nervous. Something wrong is bound to happen sooner or later. He had thought of taking her out with just the two of them, but then that would constitute as a date and would therefore be against all the rules. So he planned on a night out with friends instead, something that could turn out to be nothing. He doesn't know what he was doing exactly. He just wanted to spend time with her and take care of her while the man she loves was doing a poor job of it.

He felt a smack on his arm making him turn around quickly.

"Nick! Why didn't you tell me it's going to be fancy?" Sara looked down on her jeans getup and then frowned at his dark blue pinstripe shirt.

"Don't worry about it… you look great," he said sincerely as he looked her up and down, his eyes lingering just a tad bit longer on her hips encased in tight jeans. Shaking his head he looked away for a second and then motioned towards the door. "They're already inside. Come on…" Bringing his hand to the small of her back he gently pushed her forward and nodded at the attendant who opened the door for them.

The blast of modern rock music greeted them as they entered the club. Nick caught the smile on her face getting broader as the band got louder. Thank God he was wise enough to ask Greg about their type of music and hopefully, Greg got the food right as well. Or maybe he should just quit thinking that it was a freaking date.

_ooo_

"Admit it, Greg… it was darn funny. You should've seen the look on Cath's face…" Sara giggled, lifting her glass to her lips to down her nth drink of the night. Handing it to Nick she motioned for him to have it refilled and muttered thanks. She turned back to Greg just in time receive a wink from him, making her laugh even more. Leaning back she felt a warm arm across her shoulders instead of the chair's steel spine. She found herself snuggling closer and shifting comfortably beside Nick… smart, kind-hearted, dependable Nick. Turning to him she held out her hand expecting him to hand her glass back, looking up him confused when she didn't get any.

"Um, you sure you want another one?" Nick leaned close to her ear, keeping his voice low. "You're getting a bit tipsy… I can take you home now if you want. I'm pretty sure I'd get your wrath tomorrow if I let you do something you'd regret doing," he said laughing a little.

"I'm…" She was about to tell him she wasn't drunk, but then the idea of kissing him right there and then flashed through her mind making her think otherwise. "Yeah… we should probably go now." She was sober enough to know what was going on around her but she didn't want to take any chances. And if Grissom called she wouldn't be able to explain being drunk. He might think it's a lapse in her long-over therapy, and well she'd rather not get into an argument especially when he's miles away.

Getting into Nick's truck moments later, Sara looked out the window and watched the lights from the billboards dance before her eyes. She welcomed the feeling of lightness, worry-free state which she hadn't experienced in such a long time. It was bound to be fleeting, but she was going to revel in it for as long as she could. Who would have thought a night out with friends was all she needed? Nick did, she realized and smiled as she turned to him. He was saying something about giving her a ride the next day to get her car, but pushed that aside as a more pressing question came to her. "Hey Nick… can I ask you something?"

"Yep…" He glanced briefly at her before setting his eyes back on the road.

"Where did you go?" It was a question she had been meaning to ask him for such a long time, but for some reason never got around to. The timing wasn't always right it seemed. "After you got released from the hospital… where'd you go?"

A smile crossed his face. "Cancun Island. I'm telling you, it's the best beach out there… at least among all that I've seen."

"You're kidding…" Sara laughed as well, thinking back on how she got herself worried over nothing. What he went through underground was one of the worst things she'd seen, and she wouldn't be surprised if he decided to run away and never come back. "I called your home in Texas and sort of freaked out a bit when they said you weren't there… and all the time you were only getting the suntan of your life… you ass…"

"A well-toned, even-tanned ass…" Nick joked earning another slap on the arm. "Seriously, Sar… we should go there sometime. Long beach, white sand, endless sky… it gives you peace just when you're about to give up on having one. "

Sara looked back at him catching his gaze, and for a moment she truly believed that it was really going to happen. She smiled and set her eyes on the road as she let herself briefly imagine what it would be like. "I was afraid you weren't coming back," she said quietly after a while.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again changing his mind of whatever it is he was about to say. Coming to a stoplight he took the opportunity and turned completely towards her. "Not possible. This is my home now, Sara."

Sara stared at the red light for a second as she thought how she felt exactly at that moment, sitting beside him in his car somewhere in the middle of the city. "Yeah, me too."

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I should probably warn you all that this story would be a bit long. :) 


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey!" Sara answered merrily to the phone and walked to the side of the coffee shop to get more privacy. "This is a nice surprise…" It certainly was. Grissom has neither called nor contacted her in any way ever since he went away for the sabbatical. He had explained to her that he might not be able to, so she expected that he truly wouldn't.

"Is it a bad time?" She could imagine his eyes squinting and his lips pursing as he asked the question.

She glanced through the glass door of the shop and saw Nick still ordering at the counter. "No… Nick and I are just taking out some coffee then we're heading to the lab." Normally, they'd sit a while and finish the drinks in there, but today they were running late so they're went for the take out option. "What's up? How's the ah… academics?"

"Interesting," came his short reply. "I thought you liked tea?"

Sara thought about the last time she drank tea, which happened to be months ago. She realized that the only time she took tea was whenever Grissom served her some. As for coffee, she'd take that any time of the day. "Depends on my mood, really." She leaned against the wall near one of the kiosks and smiled up at Nick as he walked through the door. "Grissom," she mouthed to him and pointed at the phone. He checked the time on his watch and then nodded to her letting her know they could stay a bit. "So… any particular reason why you're calling me?" She turned back to the phone smiling.

"I just wanted to let you know I'd be back soon, and that I'd really want to talk to you afterwards."

"Sure…" He didn't have to say he missed her; she knew he does. She missed him as well but she wasn't going to say it in front of Nick. Actually, they're not really the vocal type of couple so she wasn't going to say it even if she was alone. "I guess I'll see you then…" She waited a bit for him to say something else. "…bye." It wasn't much; they only spent like two minutes talking while he's been away for weeks, but she was okay with it. She taught herself to not expect much to save herself the disappointment, and so far the strategy is working fine with her.

She looked across at Nick and smiled. Yes, she's doing just fine.

_ooo_

Nick watched her saunter towards him and couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked with the new curls and how her smile always lights up her entire face. He'd seen her almost everyday for the past six years but every time he looks at her he still discovers something new, either about her or himself. Like this moment for instance, he just realized that he'd give anything to be the actual reason for that smile, and not the phone call that came miles away.

"How's Grissom?" He pushed against the wall and handed her drink. The question he'd rather ask was, "How are you doing without Grissom?"

"He sounded fine…" Sara took a sip from her drink and then smiled in approval. "You didn't forget the cinnamon. Thank you!" she said a little too enthusiastically.

Nick laughed a bit and raised his cup to her. "No problem… besides, you'd have my head if I forgot about it." Just like she'd have his head if he forgot salt for her fries, or that she hated pineapple on her pizza.

They stopped by her car and Sara leaned against the door, turning around to glare at him no less. "Nah… I wouldn't wanna be stuck with all your cases..."

"I get it… now you're just stuck with me." Resting his side on the car as well, he took a look around before turning to her. The moon was up, and like the graveyard shifters that they were, they were having coffee in the middle of the night. "Wanna be stuck with me tomorrow night, same time same place?"

She laughed, and he could swear there was a bit of blush on her cheeks. "Yeah I'd like that." She took another sip and then looked at him thoughtfully. "You know what would be better? Food… along with the coffee."

"Are you asking me out?" He grinned cockily and then leaned closer, teasing her to see how she would react, and because it's fun seeing her blush. At least he was having some effect on her.

She rolled her eyes acting coolly, but her cheeks betrayed her by turning even redder. "Whatever, Stokes. You're the one calling me all the time."

"Aha… I only called twice, and if I remember correctly you were the one who called me earlier. Geez Sidle, you're on a roll," he said smiling, enjoying the whole encounter nonetheless. A moment of silence passed by with them gazing at each other, both wondering what the other exactly meant. He could sense that she was starting to get uncomfortable so he decided to back down. "Alright, we meet two hours earlier and I'm picking you up." Not giving her chance to protest, he stepped back and went to the direction of his truck. It happened so fast even he didn't have time to process completely. After years of stalling he finally managed to ask her out.

_ooo_

Sara glanced at the door expecting Nick to knock on it any minute. She stared at it for a couple more seconds, and when the knock didn't come she turned away and busied herself by fixing the magazines scattered on the kitchen counter. The more she waited the more anxious she became. She told herself that she has eaten with him a million times before, and this shouldn't be any different. It certainly didn't feel like any other meal; it's more of like a date if she was honest to herself, which was preposterous since they were just friends and she has a boyfriend. "…who is miles away right now," she muttered to herself.

She wore one of her dressier blouses, and then topped it with a jacket so it wouldn't seem like she's trying too hard. If he dressed down and acted like it was plain dinner and nothing else, then she could just zip the jacket up and no one would have to see the slight cleavage revealed by the low neckline. She groaned, realizing how crazy she was acting. He's just a friend, simple as that.

Wearing a skirt would be totally out of the question.

Finally, the doorbell rang. Going to the door she took a deep breath and then opened it white. "That's a dress shirt… dark blue pinstripe…" her voice trails off as her mind processed the devil she was seeing. This is turning out to more of a date than a non-date. Getting her wits about, she closed the door behind her and then cleared her throat. "It's kinda hot out…" Taking her jacket off, she avoided his eyes but could sense him checking her out.

"Yeah it is…" His voice was thick, as if he too could feel the tension in the air. Rushing before her he reached for the car's door handle, but unfortunately his foot slipped sending him toppling on face forward on the car's body. "Ow!"

Sara kept a straight face for a brief second and then doubled over laughing out loud, not able to keep it in. "Are you… are you okay?" she asked sincerely, but betrayed herself when another fit of giggles came over her.

"Aside from making a fool out of myself… I'm perfectly fine." Nick watched her laugh her ass off and couldn't help but laugh as well. "You're taking too much enjoyment out of this."

Sara managed to compose herself, straightened up and rested her back against the car facing him. "Sorry," she said, sporting a huge smile on her face. He was smiling as well and for while they just looked at each other, grinning like fools. Then both of their smiles faded, and Sara held her breath as he leaned just a tad bit closer.

She had closed her eyes just before she felt his lips brush against hers. It was unexpected, but also not so much. His hand cradled the side of her neck and she opened her mouth kissing him back. It must have only been a few seconds but it felt like time stilled for just a moment. They pulled back at the same instant; both realizing that what was happening wasn't supposed to be happening, at all.

It was she who found her voice first. "I forgot… I have this thing I gotta do… tonight." Slipping past him she strode back to her front door, eager to get away from everything. Getting in she closed the door behind her quietly, not certain whether she wanted him to knock on the door this time.

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Again, thanks so much to those who have been reading and reviewing:) 


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